A/N & Disclaimer - I still own or control nothing that you recognize, JKR has that great pleasure. Thanks to everyone who reviewed & read the first chapter, I appreciate all of the comments. And now, back to our trial….
Chapter Two - A tidal wave of offenses, a teacup of defense.
For six weeks, a steady stream of witnesses for the prosecution made their way through the proceedings. An ironic side effect of her mania for exact recordkeeping was now coming back to haunt the former head of the Registration Commission as there were an overabundance of records regarding every muggle-born who had the misfortune to fall into her grasp.
Coupled with the fact that the delight she took in causing harm made her handle the vast majority of the cases herself, Dolores Umbridge was personally identified by almost every victim that the Ministry had been able to find since the Battle of Hogwarts. Additional names were added daily as more came forward or the fates of those who had disappeared became known. Her defense advocate, a very harried older wizard from Magical Law-enforcement's Advocates Division, was unable to do much more than question the memories of some of the older and younger victims and repeatedly make the point that Umbridge was simply following Ministry policy at the time, as promulgated by then Minister Thickness.
Finally, Shacklebolt put an end to the list of victims stipulating that any further victims would be registered as interested parties to the case and kept apprised of the proceedings and eligible for reparations along with the others. The final witness for the Ministry was Pius Thickness, former Minster of Magic.
"State your name." Percy Weasley looked sheepishly at the witness as he began the proceedings.
Looking nervously at Kingsley, Thickness swallowed and answered "Pious Wallingsford Thickness"
"And you were the holder of the office of Minister of Magic from the first of August 1997, following the death of Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, until the second of May, 1998?"
"I never willingly claimed that office. But yes, I did function as the Minister of Magic for that period of time under magical duress."
"Under duress?" Percy's voice became softer and more conciliatory.
"Yes, I was placed under the Imperious Curse. Originally by William Yaxley while I was still the rightful head of Magical Law Enforcement. Two days prior to the events of the first of August, I was taken to an unknown location and the curse was readministered by Tom Riddle, under whose sway I remained until Harry Potter ended that on the second of May, 1998."
Looking up into the gallery, Thickness looked at Harry and grimaced. "Thank you, young man."
Looking back at Kingsley and Percy, he continued. "Sorry about that. First chance I've had to do that and while I'll be living with the memories of what happened for the rest of my life, I felt I should at least thank the wizard who gave me the chance to regret what I had done."
Her face turning a shade of red that would have made any Weasley proud if it wasn't on such a vile individual, Umbridge began ranting from her seat. "It's all a plot of those blasted children. This is nothing but a tissue of lies and vindictive childish plottings. If I'd been allowed to deal with them as I wished, none of this would have happened. I told Cornelius he was much too soft on that boy. He's the reason I'm here. He wouldn't support the Ministry then and he's destroying it n…" Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by the spells of the aurors assigned to her. From the purplish tone her face was taking, the two spells they had silently chosen weren't exactly complimentary.
"Sorry Minister Shacklebolt," the auror on her right spoke up, a bit embarrassed. "She's been silenced so many times over the past year that it took a couple of tries before I could get one to hold." Turning to her companion, she nodded. "Robbie, release the Lingui-arretez before the old bat suffocates and this whole bloody trial comes to naught."
Speaking from his place beside her, her advocate broke the silence. "Mr. Minister, I must protest these characterizations of my client, the political grandstanding Mr. Thickness engaged in and the cavalier attitude to which my client's well being is being subjected to all of which has done nothing but attempt to tarnish my client in front of the Wizengamot."
"Aloysius, I'm certain that Pious neither planned his comments nor intended them as a political statement, but I will instruct him to direct all further comments to the court." Nodding toward his old boss, Kingsley smiled and then returned his attention to Umbridge's advocate. "I'll also instruct young Maegan there that while Ms Umbridge is accused of an entire litany of crimes and misdeeds, being `an old bat' isn't one of them."
Looking squarely at the young auror who was in charge of the detail this morning, he nodded. "She was the recipient of two different hexes to try and silence her for the," looking at the parchment Percy was keeping tally on he grimaced, "four hundred and sixteenth time since these proceedings began. The second one was removed as soon as it was apparent that the first one was finally successful. And she was correct in her `concern' for you client's welfare. Her dying of asphyxiation would make the past six weeks seem rather anticlimactic."
Broadening his gaze to take in the seated Wizengamot, he continued. "I dare say, however, that your client's actions have done more to solidify the opinions of the witches and wizards gathered here than anything done by Ministry personnel. And before you raise the objection again, where in Merlin's name am I supposed to find witches and wizards with no opinion of your client or the events of that year? I think that there's an American witch at their research station in Antarctica that might have not heard anything about what happened here in Britain, but if she's seen one copy of `The Daily Prophet' or its American counterpart, `The Times Free Mystic Reporter' then that hope is lost. I'm sorry, but the only members of the wizarding community that don't actively dislike you client, loath her." Turning back to Percy, he nodded.
"Mr. Thickness, it's your contention that you were never the legitimate Minister of Magic then?"
"Not for one day. Rufus was the last Minister before Kingsley here. I was just a pawn that Riddle used to run the place while his Death Eaters and followers tried to destroy everything." Turning away, shamefacedly, he continued. "Most of those who weren't under control or a Death Eater were too afraid to do anything."
Looking directly at the defendant with unmasked loathing he added. "Some, however willing aided and directed the cruelties because it bolstered their own insecurities and failings."
Shaking his head, he spoke to the defendant. "Dolores, you always were a marginal witch at best, and kicking the muggle born wasn't going to change that. You hated the boy's mother, you hated his best friend, but trying to prove that the muggle born had stolen their powers from `real' witches and wizards was damned stupid, even for you. I told Cornelius years ago that you should have been shunted off to a quiet post somewhere you couldn't hurt anything or anybody. What hae ye done, lassie?"
Before the advocate could object, Kinglsey interrupted. "Pius, no matter how cogent the observation, please direct them to the court. So it is your assertion that the defendant acted of her own free will and accord during the period of time she was Head of the now repudiated Muggle-born Registration Commission?"
"Sorry about that Minister. Yes that one didn't need any coaxing at all to do what she did. Half the insanity that went on were her ideas. As I said, she's hated the muggle-born since she was at Hogwarts, and it's only gotten stronger over the years. If you'll look at that roster that was in Yaxley's office, you'll see a list of Ministry employees divided into three categories. There were those that were imperioused, then a group to be watched in case they got too out of hand and the threats against their families couldn't keep them in line, and a group that there was no need to coerce because they were actively supporting the new status quo. Arthur Weasley was on the second list; they knew he was only here to find out what was going on and they let him because they thought with his youngest being at Hogwarts they had leverage. Damn brave girl, that one, she was worth a dozen fully trained aurors in keeping Riddle's lackeys running in circles. Dolores was the poster girl for the third.
"Objection to that characterization of my client," the advocate looked at the Minister expectantly."
Nodding, Thickness shrugged before Kingsley could respond, "I'll rephrase. Ms Umbridge was at the top of the list labeled `Ministry Employees with Enthusiastically Proper Attitudes'. The rest of the names follow alphabetically from a to zed." Looking at Aloysius, he smiled. "Happier?"
"Then it's your contention that the defendant willingly participated in the activities of the Commission?" Kingsley directed.
"Willingly? She created the bloody thing out of whole cloth. She went to Yaxley going on and on about how the Muggle-born needed to be watched so they could be rounded up before they tried to exterminate us. How we couldn't leave these magpies and vipers in unsuspecting wizarding households. How we couldn't allow them to taint our institutions and schools. How it would be easier when the time came to purge the community if we knew where they were. Dolohov and Yaxley were pure evil, no doubt. But Dolores accepted everything they said and amplified it to ease the insecurities in her own soul. As I stated earlier, she was a mediocre witch at best and couldn't abide the fact that there were some who came to magic from the muggle world with control and ability that far exceeded her own. So she decided they must have stolen their wands and their magic from some poor unsuspecting wizard or witch."
Looking ashamed, he offered up a thick sheaf of parchments. "Here are the notes on the proceedings she sent to my office from just one day. Read for yourselves the glee she took in persecuting those poor folks. My biggest regret is that those two didn't feed her to the dementors the day they broke into the Ministry. My guess is it wouldn't have done any good." Looking coldly at Umbridge but addressing his remarks to the court, he continued. "The dementors would have had scant lunch from that one; I don't believe she has much of a soul to steal in the first place."
"Objection"
"Noted Aloysius. The Wizengamot will disregard any personal opinions regarding the state of the defendant's soul, or her lack thereof. Do you have any questions for the witness Aloysius?"
"Just a few, Mr. Minister. Mr. Thickness, how can this court trust your recollections of what happened since you willingly admit you were under mental duress and coercion at the time?"
"Other than the records your client collected that back up my tale? Aloysius you know as well as I do that the subject of an Imperius curse remembers everything that happens while they were under unless their memory is tampered with after the fact. Load my memories into a pensieve and have a look. They'll sicken you, I know they sicken me, but you'll see everything crystal clear and sharp as a knife. I know the law doesn't allow it, but we could take my memories of that time and her memories of that time and see exactly what this court should believe."
"Yes, that's all well and good, but you know that Ms Umbridge was just following policies and procedures set by the Office of the Minster of Magic, your office I believe at the time. Why should we fault her if she was simply doing what was required"
"Aloysius, your client wasn't some owl-post clerk that forwarded along parchments not knowing what they contained. She created most of those policies and gleefully exceeded them when she wanted to be particularly cruel and vindictive. She wasn't following orders; she was following her inner nature."
Shaking his head, the advocate addressed the court. "Nothing further from this witness, Mr. Minister."
Looking at Percy, who shook his head in answer, Kingsley spoke "Since this was the prosecution's last witness, we'll adjourn for the day and allow the defense to proceed tomorrow afternoon. Do you have your final roster of witnesses?"
Standing slowly, Advocate Carrenton placed both hands upon the table in front of him and nodded. "I hope it pleases the court because it certainly doesn't please me. Most of the Ministry personnel who worked with my client are either in Azkaban, in hiding, or inform me that they have no relevant testimony to offer on my client's behalf. Actually most of them have been clamoring to testify against her. Tomorrow, against my advice, my client wishes to take the stand to plead her own defense." Shaking his head ruefully, Aloysius Carrenton tried to blot out the chuckling that was filling the room after his last statement. Tomorrow was going to prove to be a very trying day.
-->